An Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 suffered blown tires after its pilots aborted take-off from Nashville on 12 September due to a Southwest Airlines 737 crossing the same runway.
Alaska Airlines confirms the seemingly close call at Nashville International airport. The FAA is reportedly investigating but did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
“Alaska Airlines flight 369 aborted take-off due to a potential traffic conflict on the runway. The Alaska aircraft, on its way to Seattle, had received clearance for take-off from air traffic control,” Seattle-based Alaska says.
The event apparently happened shortly after 09:00 local time.
“We’re grateful for the expertise of our pilots who immediately applied the brakes to prevent the incident from escalating,” the airline adds. “The crew taxied the aircraft off the runway and close to the terminal where the tires deflated due to heat build-up from the rapid stop.”
Alaska flight 369 was operated by a 737-800.
Media reports say a Southwest jet operating flight 2029 – seemingly a flight to Jacksonville – had crossed the end of runway, after receiving clearance to do so from air traffic control.
Southwest did not respond to a request for comment.
The event follows a string of similar near misses involving passenger aircraft at US airports in recent years. The FAA says it is working to implement technologies intended to prevent such incidents.
